Northern edition Spring Coaches of the Year

Boys’ team

Dave Barton, Falmouth lacrosse

Courtesy Falmouth Athletics

Falmouth’s boys’ lacrosse team finally broke through and won the big prize this season and did it in the most delicious way possible.

By dominating a longtime nemesis on the big stage, while suggesting that there will be plenty more hardware to come.

The Navigators were one of the youngest teams around and while there are an abundance of standouts on the roster, the group needed nurturing, encouragement and occasional restraint.

All of which Dave Barton, Falmouth’s seventh-year coach, delivered with aplomb.

And as a result, The Forecaster is naming Dave Barton our Northern edition Spring Coach of the Year of a boys’ team.

Barton grew up in the Boston area and played goalie at the University of Vermont. His first head coaching job was at Edward Little High School in Auburn and Barton came to Falmouth to take over the then-Yachtsmen in 2017.

In his first six seasons, Barton’s teams won 71 of 93 games and got to the state final twice, but on both occasions were no match for Cape Elizabeth. After being upset by South Portland in the state semifinals in 2023, Falmouth was one of the favorites this spring, but its youth gave some pundits pause.

The Navigators raced out of the gate winning their first four games by a composite 69-7 margin, but on April 24, they lost at home to the Capers, 7-6, leading to some to believe that the story was going to be to same.

It wasn’t.

After three straight lopsided victories, Falmouth got another shot at Cape Elizabeth, this time at Hannaford Field, and the Navigators took advantage, prevailing, 11-10, to end the Capers’ win streak at 32 games and stake their claim as the team to beat. After closing with five more impressive wins, including a victory at eventual Class B champion Yarmouth and a home triumph over rival Thornton Academy, Falmouth entered the Class A playoffs as the top seed.

And it ran roughshod through the opposition all the way to a coveted championship.

The Navigators avenged last year’s ouster with a 19-7 domination of South Portland in the state quarterfinals, then toyed with Scarborough in the semifinals to the tune of a 14-1 victory. Again, Cape Elizabeth was standing in the way at Fitzpatrick Stadium and Falmouth was licking its chops, as this time, the Navigators were up for the challenge and they handed the Capers their most decisive playoff loss ever, 18-5, to win a state title for the first time in eight years, the first time at the Class A level and for the fourth time in program history.

“It’s great,” said Barton, who also teaches in Falmouth and is a self-professed ‘girl Dad. “We’ve worked so hard. The offseason, the preseason. It’s 365 days a year. It’s the most connected group I’ve been a part of. I’m so proud of them. They just love to compete. We’ve had our eye on this group of sophomores and juniors since they were in third grade. They’ve been so great coming up the ranks. It’s the best group we’ve had because of everything they do off the field.”

Now, the Navigators will look to defend a title and with almost everyone returning in 2025, the pressure will be on, but with Dave Barton, our Northern edition boys’ team Spring Coach of the Year leading the way, rest assured that they will be ready for any challenge.

Previous winners:

• 2023 Marc Halsted (Yarmouth baseball)
* 2022 Peter Gerrity (NYA lacrosse)
* 2021 Bill Shardlow (Yarmouth tennis)
• 2020 No season
• 2019 Kyle Goodrich (Freeport baseball)
• 2018 Jay Harper (Freeport tennis)
• 2017 Marc Halsted (Yarmouth baseball)
• 2016 Bill Ridge (Freeport baseball)
• 2015 Derek Soule (Greely baseball)
• 2014 Geoff Arris (Freeport lacrosse)
• 2013 David Pearl (Yarmouth lacrosse)
• 2012 Kevin Winship (Falmouth baseball)
• 2011 Bob McCully (Falmouth tennis)
• 2010 Marc Halsted (Yarmouth baseball)
• 2009 Mike LeBel (Falmouth lacrosse)
• 2008 Casey Abbott (Greely lacrosse)
• 2007 Derek Soule (Greely baseball)
• 2006 Chris Carpentier (Freeport lacrosse)
• 2005 Chris Mazzurco (NYA track)
• 2004 Craig Curry (Yarmouth lacrosse)
• 2003 Bruce Poliquin (NYA baseball)
• 2002 Hank Ogilby (Freeport baseball)

Girls’ team

Dorothy Holt, Yarmouth lacrosse

Forecaster file photo

Dorothy Holt and her Yarmouth Clippers love the month of June and this spring, the month of June loved them back, as the Clippers made a storybook run to their first-ever Class A state title.

A run which featured a pair of revenge-is-sweet victories.

For the umpteenth time in her nearly two decades as Yarmouth’s coach, Holt got her team to play its best when it absolutely mattered most and the end result was her seventh championship.

In light of her consistent excellence and for getting this team to peak at the right time and overcome every challenge, Dorothy Holt is The Forecaster’s choice as our Northern edition Spring Coach of the Year of a girls’ team.

Holt was also named our Spring Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2019.

Holt, a native of Rye, New York, who went to Hartwick College, replaced Julia Littlefield as just the second coach in Yarmouth history way back in 2005 and she’s now the longest tenured coach in the program’s storied history.

The hardware arrived her second year, as the Clippers stunned Waynflete to win Class B, and they would repeat in 2007. Yarmouth won another title in 2011, then went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. After narrowly falling in the state game in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the Clippers broke through again in 2021 after the sport returned from a year-long COVID hiatus.

Yarmouth moved up to Class A for the 2022 season and in consecutive years got to the state final, but couldn’t solve Kennebunk.

That changed this spring.

The Clippers lost by a goal at Falmouth in the opener, then won four straight before dropping a one-goal home decision to Kennebunk May 1.

They wouldn’t lose again.

Yarmouth boasted a dynamic, balanced offense, strong defense and a terrific goalie in senior Regan Sullivan and passed every test, winning its final eight regular season games.

Then, in the playoffs, the Clippers dispatched Oxford Hills (19-6) in the state preliminary round, then pulled away to defeat Cheverus in the quarterfinals, 1o-5. That set up another showdown versus Kennebunk, the three-time reigning state champion, this time a round sooner than usual, and despite falling behind by three goals in the first half, Yarmouth saved its best for last and ended the Rams’ reign with a stirring 8-7 victory.

Undefeated Falmouth was the last obstacle standing and the Clippers dug a 7-4 halftime hole in the state game, but came out and produced a third quarter for the ages, outscoring the Navigators, 6-0, then going on to prevail in stirring fashion, 12-8.

“Dorothy just told us to believe in each other, cheer each other on, never stop fighting and the grittier team would win,” said Yarmouth senior Brooke Boone, one of the team’s many standouts.

“This one is sweet for sure,” Holt said. “One of the best I’ve ever had. I’m telling you, we love June. A lot of people looked at us at the start of the year like ‘They’re OK.’ Coming to Class A was hard. We could have stayed in Class B and dominated, but we wanted to play the best. You have to compete with the great teams to be great.”

Yarmouth was great and so is its coach. Dorothy Holt, our Northern edition girls’ team Spring Coach of the Year, has the Midas touch and the good times figure to keep on rolling with her at the helm.

Previous winners:

• 2023 Ricky Doyon (NYA softball)
* 2022 Jason Daniel (Freeport softball)
* 2021 Becca Koelker (Greely lacrosse)
• 2020 No season
• 2019 Dorothy Holt (Yarmouth lacrosse)
• 2018 Ashley Pullen (Falmouth lacrosse)
• 2017 Bill Goodspeed (Falmouth tennis)
• 2016 Rob Hale (Greely softball)
• 2015 Amy Ashley (Yarmouth softball)
• 2014 Ben Caswell (Greely tennis)
• 2013 Sandra Stone (Falmouth tennis)
• 2012 Karin Kurry (Freeport lacrosse)
• 2011 Sara Dimick (Greely lacrosse)
• 2010 Julia Sterling (NYA lacrosse)
• 2009 Sandra Stone (Falmouth tennis)
• 2008 Julia Littlefield (NYA lacrosse)
• 2007 Robin Haley (Falmouth lacrosse)
• 2006 Dorothy Holt (Yarmouth lacrosse)
• 2005 Sandra Stone (Falmouth tennis)
• 2004 Ann Harradon (Yarmouth tennis)
• 2003 Julia Seely (NYA tennis)
• 2002 Julia Littlefield (Yarmouth lacrosse)